Learning Programming
There are all sorts of places you can use programming skills in working with the computer. If you use Office, learning VBA allows you automate tasks that you do regularly in Word, Excel or Access. If you build websites, learning programming allows you to add JavaScript to your web pages or you can create web applications using server-side languages like PHP or ASP. Looking for a new career? Companies are hiring programmers with experience in C++, C# and Java.
If you want to add programming skills to your resume, start by taking a look at our
Programming Introduction course. This course teaches you programming using JavaScript and a web browser, tools you have handy! You will learn the programming process and how to speak and start to think like a programmer. Impress your friends by being able to use words like polymorphism and exception handling in conversation!
After you have the basics of programming down, depending on what you want to do with it you may be interested in these training paths:
If you are using Office and want to learn Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) check out:
VBA Programming - learn to edit macros and create them from scratch. You can create dialog boxes to prompt the user for information.
For those who want to to add programming to their web design skils check out these courses:
JavaScript Introduction - JavaScript is used to create menus, rollover and other interactive features on web pages. This course will take you through the basics of working with JavaScript and into creating full featured JavaScript applications.
Building Interactive Web Sites with CSS, DHTML and Ajax - Once you are familiar with JavaScript, learn to use JavaScript to add Ajax functionality to your web pages. Ajax allows you to communicate with the server without having to resubmit a web page. This can make your sites faster and more user-friendly.
For those who want to add data-driven web pages to their web sites check out these courses:
ASP.NET using Visual Basic .Net - Learn the basics of creating ASP.NET web pages. You will learn to display information from a database and create forms that will store the data in the database.
PHP Web Programming - PHP is one of the most popular web programming languages. In this course you will learn to work with PHP to accept form data and store it into a database or customize the user's experience on your site.
If you want to learn programming, we offer paths in many different languages. Check out these introductory courses:
C# IntroductionC++ IntroductionJava IntroductionVisual Basic .NET IntroductionIf you are already a programmer we offer Advanced level classes in all our programming languages.
Learning Web Design
Do you have an interest in learning web design? Maybe you have a blog or
MySpace page and want to dress it up a bit, or maybe you have an idea for an online venture and want to build a web presence. If you want to do more on the web, a basic knowledge of web design can help you. But where do you start?
At some point you will really want to learn HTML - the language of the web. Even if you use tools like
Dreamweaver or create all your text using online editors like the ones found in Blogger or
MySpace, they will allow you to view the HTML code behind your content. Understanding this code can allow you to fix problems or do things the online editors may not have buttons for. We have two HTML courses. The
HTML Jumpstart will give you a good quick introduction to HTML. The
HTML/XHTML Introduction goes more deeply into creating web pages with HTML. This is a good place to start if you plan to make a career out of web design.
In addition to HTML you will want to learn Cascading Style Sheets (
CSS) - the language of web page formatting. Understanding
CSS is the secret to getting your web pages to look the way you want. We offer two
CSS courses. The
Cool Web Pages with CSS and Layers will give you a quick introduction to basic
CSS formatting. If you plan to use tools like
Dreamweaver, this course will help you to understand the
CSS formatting
Dreamweaver uses better. The
Designing Web Sites with CSS will go through
CSS more thoroughly and give you a good understanding of how to do some of the cool stuff you see.
At some point you will want to decide on a web design tool. There are a few available and they all do similar things. The big thing these web design tools offer is the ability to manage web sites. If you are just creating web pages, knowledge of HTML and
CSS and a basic HTML editor will be all you need. We offer classes in these web design tools:
Adobe Dreamweaver Microsoft Expression WebAdobe GoLiveThese tools provide a GUI interface and buttons for formatting similar to what you would find in a word processor. They can be used to build basic web sites and manage your sites through templates and file management.
This will get you started with learning web design, but it is just a starting point. We discuss in a future post paths you can take from here to expand on your web design knowledge.
What are all these windows doing open?
When you first access your classroom you might be overwhelmed by all the windows on the screen. While most of them are helpful, they may just clutter up the screen and keep you from focusing on what you want to focus on. No problem! We can hide any of the windows we don't need and even simplify the view of the class so that we just see the lesson we are working on.
To hide the windows along the left and right sides of the screen, click on the box with the - in the upper right corner of the window you want to close. For example, if you don't use the Administration box, click on the box to the right of the Word Administration in the title bar. The window will collapse and only display the title and the box with the +. Click on the box with the + to expand the window again.
Your settings will be saved for that course. You will have to set the way you want for each course you are in.
While you cannot close and open the windows in the center part of the screen, you can collapse the list of Lessons so you only see the one you want to work on. To do that click on the box with the - to the right of the lesson you want to be displayed. All other Lesson windows will be hidden.
You'll know you are in this collapsed view by the pair of boxes to the right of the Lesson title. The top one has a + and the bottom one is empty. Click on the boxes and you will see all available lessons again.
From the collapsed view you can use the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen that says "Jump to...". Click on the Lesson you want to view from the drop down list and it will be displayed as the active lesson. The list will only show the Lessons that have been made available to you.
The settings for collapsing the lessons will be saved so the next time you return to the class the Lessons will display as you left them. And like the collapsed windows, the collapsed lessons will have to be set for each course you are in.
Hopefully, the classroom windows are a little clearer for you and you can focus better on your course without the distracting opened windows.
Updating and Upgrading
It's that time again! New software versions are appearing all around us. Microsoft, Adobe and others are releasing new version of their applications and we are updating our classes to support the new versions.
Acrobat - Adobe has released version 9 of Adobe Acrobat this summer. We are ready to help you upgrade your Acrobat skills or introduce you to the ins and outs of Acrobat version 9.
VBA - The release of Office 2007 saw a big change in the Microsoft Office suite of tools. Although the underlying Visual Basic language has not changed all that much, many of the interfaces have. Our VBA Programming class now supports 2007 as well as earlier versions.
Visual Basic - Version 2008 of Visual Basic has been released. Our Visual Basic Introduction and Visual Basic Advanced courses are both now upgraded for the latest versions.
C# - Microsoft C# 2008 is now available. Our C# Introduction and C# Advanced courses are both upgraded to include the last versions.
ASP.NET - Whether you are using ASP.NET with Visual Basic or C#, ASP.NET 3.5 is now available and our ASP.NET with C# and ASP.NET with Visual Basic are both upgraded to include the latest versions.
May I have a transfer?
One of the ways to determine if learning has been successful is if a student can leave the classroom environment and be able to apply what they have learned to their own work. In the world of learning this is called transfer.
My father taught college for many years. He was a successful and well-liked professor. After he had been teaching for a number of years he took a consulting job in his field. He found out that what he had been teaching all those years did not transfer to the real world. For college that's almost par for the course - for the rest of us - that's a HUGE problem.
One of the aspects we have taken into consideration when designing our courses was to ensure that what the students learn in our classes transfers back to the environment in which they will be using it. Not only do we try to present examples that reflect real applications of what is being taught but we also allow students to work on their own projects for Assignments. Students can then see for themselves how what they are learning applies to them and their situation.
Students are given a whole set of tools they can use to work through any challenge they may face. Many methods of presentation of a topic, many examples of how the knowledge can be applied and many types of assessment of knowledge help ensure that a student can apply what they are learning to a variety of situations. And if the resources that are available don't meet the student's needs then the instructor is there to share his or her own experiences and to help the students find additional resources.
Labels: instructional design
Use ALL of your Resources
One of the advantages of learning online is the wealth of resources available to you. In the classroom you have the teacher and maybe the book, if it's a good one. If your teacher allows you to talk in class you may also have your fellow students as a resource. And certainly NONE of those is available to you when it comes time to show what you have learned.
When you learn online you have a great variety of resources. I have found from my own experience that my learning is enriched the more resources I make use of.
Book - For most of the classes the main source of content is the book. The teacher here do a great job of choosing books that serve you well in class and serve as a great reference after the class.
Content - The content can frequently provide a different point of view from the book or a better explanation than what the book offers. I really appreciate the different approach or explanation and I always find a learn a thing or two I missed in the book.
Resources - The online resources provide great tips and further explanation of the topics. I sometimes spend the largest time in working through a lesson just reading all the resources and other links I find.
Classmates - It seems like each of has a different application for the course material. I love looking through the Assignments and reading the discussions posted by my classmates. I like hearing the different points of view and seeing all the ways the content can be applied. I am even grateful when a classmate asks a question that I was puzzling over myself. And it's great when a classmate answers a question I have posted. This is one learning environment where it is allowed - and encouraged - to talk to your classmates!
Yourself - I think in learning online you discover that your greatest resource is your own resourcefulness! Since you cannot usually get an instantaneous response, learning to use the other resources and doing your own research on the topic can be the greatest boost to your understanding of the topic. The class will end, but if you learn to rely on yourself to learn, answer questions and solve problems you have a valuable resource for life.
Teacher - Last - and definitely LEAST is your teacher. LEAST you ask? Yes, least. If you look at the online learning environment you find that the teacher is usually the least available resource you have. Yes, you can ask your teacher just about anything and get an answer but the answer may take a while and it may not be the answer you need if you did not do a good job in asking your question.
Before you ask your teacher for help, spend some time with your other resources:
- Check the Content and Resources for the lesson.
- Check the Questions and Comments for the lesson to see if a classmate asked the same question.
- Use your favorite search engine to research the topic.
- Post your question to the Question and Comments for the lesson and see if a classmate will answer. Even if the teacher answers you have left a resource for a classmate who may have the same question.
And the real joy is all of those resources are at your disposal to help with all the activities you complete for a lesson!
Labels: Students
Customizing Your Settings
When you first created your account at the classroom you filled in some information that was used to create your account. You can view and edit that information (and more!) through your profile.
After you log into the classroom, you will see your name in the very top right corner. Click on that and it takes you to the information that your classmates can see about you. Across the top of the profile are a series of tabs. Click on the tab which says "Edit Profile".
On the next screen you will see the form for editing the profile. The fields in red are required but any of the fields you can chose to enter or not.
Here are some of the fields you may be most interested in:
- Email display - choose who you want to be able to see your email address. This can help to maintain your privacy.
- Email activated - disable your email address and you will not receive any email from our system.
- Email format - choose whether to receive email in HTML or plain text format.
- Email digest - choose whether to receive emails as messages are posted in the classroom or just a summary once a day.
- Forum auto-subscribe - turn this on to automatically subscribe to a forum whenever you post a message.
- Forum tracking - turn this on to have any unread posts in your classroom highlighted for you.
- Font Size - Choose the font size you want to use as the base font for the site.
One of the options allows you to upload an image that will display when you post messages or assignments in the classroom. You can upload a photo or an image that you want to represent you. Click on the browse button and select the image you want to upload. Once it is uploaded the system will size it to fit the image area.
If you want your instructor or classmates to be able to contact you beyond the classroom, fill your web page or contact information in the Optional section.
When you have changed all the options you want, click on the Update profile button. Your changes will be saved and will take affect immediately.
We do respect your privacy and will not share any of your personal information with anyone. But do be aware that when you click on your name and view your profile that information is viewable by anyone who has an account on our classroom.
